Automobile front end construction



J. TJAARDA AUTOKOBIIJB FRONT END CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 26 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 lNVENTR 7:744 rda.

CbvQO L ATTOR EY April 3, 1934. J. TJAARDA AUTOMOBILE FRONT END CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 26, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lNyENToR J07777 64422 4.

. Y M CWQA 4 ATTO NEYS.

f the radiator core.

Patented Apr. 3, 1934 AUTOMOBILE FRONT END CONSTRUCTION John Tjaarda, Birmingham, Mich, assignor to Briggs Manufacturing Company, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Application October 26,

11 Claims.

This invention relates particularly to the front end construction of automobiles. In conventional practice the front end is provided with a radiator unit comprising a shell or hood enclosing a transverse radiator core through which air flows from a front opening in the unit. Heretofore it has been necessary to design the radiator shell or housing so that its front opening will have an area for the passage of air substantially coextensive with the effective area of the core. That is, it has been necessary that the front opening expose substantially a corresponding effective area'of the core in rear thereof in order to produce the proper heat exchange between the air and the water passing through the radiator. In such prior constructions radiator core areas not directly exposed by the front opening have not been acted upon by the air entering through the front opening to an extent sufficient to cool the water in such unexposed areas. Hence, where it has been desirable for the purpose of enhancing the appearance of the front end to narrow the front opening in the shell it has been at the same time necessary to narrow correspondingly Moreover, such narrowing of the front opening has usually necessitated an increased vertical elongation of the opening and of the core in order to maintain sufiicient exposed core area so as to cool the motor.

An object of the present invention is to provide a front end construction or radiator unit wherein the area of the front opening may be, at least to a very substantial degree, independent of the effective core area, and to provide compensating means whereby the volumetric or quantity flow of air through the core will not be undesirably affected by a substantial reduction in the area of the front opening.

A further object is to provide a front end construction in which the front opening in the radiator shell or housing may be substantially narrower, or of substantially less area, than the effective core area, and in which air communication passages are provided in the shell between the core and front opening effective to so control the pressures within the space in front of the core as to induce substantially uniform flow of air to the exposed and unexposed core areas and without producing any retardation in the velocity of air.

Other objects of this invention will appear in the following description and appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification wherein 1932, Serial No. 639,645

like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views.

Fig. l is a front elevation of a radiator unit embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of a front end unit showing a somewhat modified construction.

Fig. l is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken through lines 44 of Fig. 1 in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 5 is a detail section taken through line 5--5 of Fig. 1 in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 6 is a detail section taken through line 6--6 of Fig. 1 in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 7 is a section taken through line 7-7 of Fig. 4 in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary plan view of the structure shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Before explaining in detail the present inven tion it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation, and it is not intended to limit the invention claimed herein beyond the requirements of the prior art.

Referring to the structure shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4 to 8 inclusive, the front end of the body is provided with the usual hood sections 9 and 10 hinged at 11 so as to permit them to be raised in the usual manner. In this embodiment the forward ends of the hood sections terminate at 12 substantially at the rear face of the radiator core 13. This core is preferably housed within a separate shell or casing 14, the rear edge of which terminates along the transverse line 12, so that the shell and hood sections extend in continuation one with the other. The shell is provided with a front opening 15 through which the air passes to the radiator core 13.

In the present instance the shell is stamped to provide a top portion 16 extending forwardly from the core 13 and at its forward end having a downwardly extending flange 17. The upright sides 18 of the shell taper forwardly and inwardly from the core, preferably on deep curves, and terminate along the marginal bead 19 so as to provide the relatively narrow front opening 15. Mounted within this opening is a suitable ornamental grille 20 which is suitably bolted to the shell as shown in Fig. 6. The rear edge of the shell is pressed to provide a channel or groove 21 to receive the forward edges of the hood sections 9 and 10. Each tapered or curved side portion 18 is preferably provided with a series of horizontal parallel louver openings 22 by means of which air communication is provided between the exterior and interior of the shell. The louvers 22 are preferably positioned horizontally and are arranged to provide communication passages in the sides of the shell substantially from the top to the bottom of the opening 15, the lower pressed portions 18a of the shell which are below the core being unpierced by communication passages.

The shell is preferably supported and secured in position by means of bracket arms 23 projecting from the core channel supporting member 24, the sides of the shell being bolted at 24a to the brackets or arms 23.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 3 the structure is substantially the same as above described with exception that the shell and hood sections in this instance are integrally formed. Referring to Fig. 3, the hood members 25 and 26, which are hinged longitudinally at 2'7, extend forwardly so as to house the radiator core 13 and form substantially a combined hood and shell terminating along the lines 25a. A separate ornamental stamping 29 is mounted at the forward ends of the hood sections 25 and 26 and provides the means for securing the front grille in position. The member 29 defines a relatively narrow front opening 15 as in the previous embodiment. In this instance the horizontal louvers 30 in the hood sections extend continuously forwardly to a point well in advance of the core 13 and adjacent the front opening 15. Alternating with the louvers 30 are a series of shorter louvers 31 which are disposed at the sides of the hood or shell in the zone between the core and front opening. As in the previous embodiment, that portion of the hood which encloses the radiator core 13 is tapered forwardly and inwardly to produce a front opening of substantially less area than the effective area of the core 13. Also, as in the previous embodiment, the core enclosure is provided with a series of passages or openings 30 and 31 providing communication between the exterior and interior of the enclosure.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the core 13 in each instance has a substantially greater width than the width of the front opening 15, and, therefore, has a substantially greater effective area. With reference to Fig. 8 it will be seen that the normal flow of air through the opening 15 will be a straight line flow indicated by the arrows C. Ordinarily such a flow would render the core effective only to the extent of the area directly exposed by the opening 15, i. e. the area normally defined by the straight line flow through opening 15. Within the shell there will ordinarily be a zone of relatively higher pressure indicated at A and a zone of relatively lower pressure indicated at B. The air flowing around the curved or tapered side of the shell will be bent or deflected as shown by the arrows D, and at the same time this air flow will create a suction through the louver openings 22 effective to draw a substantial quantity of the air entering the opening 15 toward the low pressure zone B, as indicated by the arrows E. The air current at E will have a sufficiently greater velocity than the air current shown at C so that there will be an equal flow of air to the unexposed portions of the core as to the exposed portions, while at the same time the normal velocity in the locality of the exposed core area will not be reduced. Instead the velocity of the air travelling to the unexposed portions will be increased in accordance with the increased velocity of the air travelling along the outer curved sides of the shell.

I claim:

1. An automobile front end including a radiator core, a shell housing said core and having opposite sides thereof tapering forwardly and inwardly to provide a front opening exposing a part only of the core area, and means for inducing by suction a substantially uniform volumetric flow of air from said opening to the unexposed and exposed areas of the core.

2. An automobile front end including a radiator core, a shell housing said core and having opposite sides tapering forwardly and inwardly to provide a front opening of substantially less area than the core area, and means for inducing a substantially uniform volumetric flow of air from said opening to the core throughout the effective area of the latter.

3. An automobile front end including a radiator core, a shell housing said core and having opposite sides tapering forwardly and inwardly to provide a front opening of substantially less area than the core area, and means for inducmg a substantially uniform volumetric flow of air from said opening to the core throughout an effective area of the core which is substantially greater than the area of the front opening.

4. In a radiator unit including a transversely extending core, a shell housing said core and having the opposite upright sides thereof extending forwardly from the core and inwardly to provide a front opening of substantially less area than the effective area of the core, said shell having openings disposed between said core and front opening, and projecting means effective to produce a low pressure zone or zones adjacent said openings in advance of the core.

5. In a radiator unit including a transversely extending core, a shell housing said core and having the opposite upright sides thereof extending forwardly from the core and inwardly to provide a front opening of substantially less area than the effective area of the core, said shell at each side in advance of the core having a plurality of air communication passages from the exterior to the interior of the shell, and a plurality of baffles effective to induce by suction a flow of air from said front opening toward said passages.

6. In a radiator unit including a transversely extending core, a shell housing said core and having the opposite upright sides thereof extending forwardly from the core and inwardly to provide a front opening of substantially less area than the effective area of the core, said shell at each side in advance of-the core having a series of parallel horizontal passages from the exterior to the interior of the shell, and a series of baffles efiective to createlow pressure zones at said passages in advance of the core.

7. An automobile front end including a radiator core, a shell housing said core and having its sides tapering forwardly from the core to pro vide a front opening in advance of the core and of less area than the effective area of the core, and a series of outwardly projecting louvers'in said shell in advance of the core constructed to create low pressure zones at the sides of the shell,

said shell having openings in the locality of said zones. 1 1' 8. In a radiator unit including a transversely extending re, a shell housing said core and having the lopposite sides thereof extending forwardly and {inwardly to provide a relatively narrow front opening in advance of the core, said shell having outwardly projecting baffles and openings disposed between said core and front opening effective to create low pressure zones at the sides of he shell adjacent said openings.

9. In aradiator unit including a transversely extending icore; a shell housing said core and having the opposite sides thereof extending forwardly and inwardly to provide a relatively narrow front opening in advance of the core, said shell at opposite sides thereof having side openings located-entirely between said core and front opening, jand outwardly projecting baffles associated wi said side openings for inducing a flow of a i from said front opening laterally through said side openings.

10. In an automobile front end including a radiator core, a radiator shell extending forwardly of the core and having a relatively narrow front opening exposing a part only of the effective core area, said shell having side openings and means in the path of the air stream at the side of the shell exteriorly thereof "for inducing by suction a lateral flow of air from the front opening to the unexposed core area at a greater velocity than the flow of air from the front opening to the exposed core area.

11. In an automobile front end, a radiator shell having a front opening, a radiator .core spaced rearwardly of said opening and enclosed by the shell, said opening bein of less width than the eifective width of the core, and exterior means on the shell for inducing by suction a lateral flow of air from the front opening to the lateral side of the core.

JOHN TJAARDA. 

